Bluewater Network, an environmental organization, has issued a report claiming that large ships are the dirtiest transportation source.
The report, titled "A Stacked Deck: Air Pollution from Ships," says the ships emit smog and sulfur that pollute and cause climate changes across the world’s oceans with their dirty fuels, threatening the health of people living in major port areas such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Baltimore, Port Arthur and New York.
Large vessels burn fuels with sulfur levels up to 5,000 times higher than diesel trucks or buses. A study by Carnegie Mellon University recently concluded that this is causing climate changes due to the effect of ship exhaust on cloud formation.
The Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund in February filed a lawsuit on behalf of Bluewater Network to challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's failure in setting a standard for nitrogen oxide emissions. According to the EPA, large vessels emit 273 thousand tons of nitrogen oxides a year--748 tons each day--into U.S. air, and are one of the largest sources of particulate matter emissions in port cities.
The Bluewater Network report is available online at: http://www.bluewaternetwork.org.(Source: Environment News Service)